Experts view

12:01AM GMT 30 Jan 2005

Who will win the Six Nations?

Thomas Castaignede: Ireland because they play England and France at home. It's this year or never for them, I think.

David Sole: I don't think there will be a Grand Slam but I do think that Ireland will win. They have been the most consistent side over the past 12-18 months whereas the form of the others has fluctuated. Ireland don't have too many injuries either.

Bob Norster: Ireland because of the way the fixtures fall. They've England in Dublin so they must have a good chance.

Donal Lenihan: I'm torn between Ireland and France. Probably Ireland because France have to travel to Twickenham and Lansdowne Road.

Simon Halliday: England, with a Grand Slam. We should defeat Wales and we know how to beat France who have selection problems. Ireland don't carry the burden of favourites well at all.

Massimo Cuttita: England. They've renewed their squad and there is strength in depth there.

Who will collect the wooden spoon?

TC: Scotland. They are rebuilding but the finished product is a long way off.

DS: Italy. They will target Scotland as their must-win game but they have to travel to Murrayfield, which will be tough. I actually fancy Scotland to win two, possibly all three, of their home games.

BN: Italy. Scotland have their own troubles similar to those Wales endured a while back, but Italy will struggle.

DL: Italy on the basis that Matt Williams and Willie Anderson will be fighting for their coaching lives with Scotland. They simply cannot afford a second whitewash.

SH: Scotland, though I hope I'm wrong because the tournament needs a competitive Scotland. I can't see them turning it around just yet. They simply haven't got a solid spine to their team whereas the rest have.

MC: It's between Italy and Scotland. It will come down to who is the luckier on the day.

Who will we be talking about when it's all over?

TC: Ronan O'Gara. His kicking is very important for Ireland as is the way he leads their potent backline.

DS: Boringly predictable. Brian O'Driscoll.

BN: With no Martin Johnson around, I'd like to see another lock dominate. Ireland's Paul O'Connell has a big year ahead of him with the Lions if he goes well. If Gavin Henson is able to translate his domestic form on to the international stage, he is a big star in the making.

DL: Brian O'Driscoll. He has played well over the past two years but with the emergence of Gordon D'Arcy to attract attention, I think O'Driscoll will flourish even more. He's a big-game player and there is the huge carrot of the Lions captaincy.

SH: Ronan O'Gara for a perverse reason. So far in the big games he has failed to deliver.

MC: Jonny Wilkinson if he plays a part in the tournament. Otherwise, Jason Robinson because he is the most dangerous runner.

Choose one alteration to improve the championship

TC: Playing all the games in one block. It is ridiculous having Zurich premiership matches in between the Tests.

DS: It's OK as it is. If pushed, I would scrap Sunday games because of the difficulty of travelling to them.

BN: We do need to look at the scheduling. Moving it back would allow a natural progression from domestic to European to international. Supporters, clubs and the players would appreciate that but I'm not sure about the broadcasters.

DL: A points-scoring system identical to that used in the Heineken Cup. A bonus point for four tries or a defeat by seven points or less would add an extra dimension and would help separate teams.

SH: The ludicrously late kick-offs. Last season's France-England contest which started at 9pm French-time was a joke.

MC: I wouldn't touch it. I think six is the right number and I can't see any other European nation deserving a place.

Best away trip

TC: England. But with a win, which didn't happen very often. Playing England means so much for a Frenchman, especially now that they are world champions.

DS: Wales in 1990. I had only ever played there when Wales won and Cardiff was humming. That year we won and the place was a ghost town. Very satisfying.

BN: Dublin. Whether you're drowning your sorrows or celebrating, it's a city whose people have a great perspective on life.

DL: Edinburgh. Like Dublin, the game takes over the whole city and creates a unique atmosphere.

SH: Ireland. France is always great fun but their players don't join in afterwards. That was never a problem with the Irish lads.

MC: England. I just loved Twickenham with its traditions and its crowd.

Favourite personal memory

TC: My championship debut in 1996 against England in Paris. I remember being in the tunnel and looking across at Jerry Guscott and Will Carling and thinking `I shouldn't be on the same pitch as them'.

DS: The atmosphere at Murrayfield in 1990 when we beat England for the Grand Slam. I remember the crowd. Most games start very loudly and die away after 10 minutes. On that occasion the noise went on forever.

BN: Never having lost to England in seven games against them. I missed the game in 1986 when England won.

DL: It's hard to get away from the memory of a win. Winning the Triple Crown and championship with Ireland in 1982 and 1985 was fantastic.

SH: In 1988 England had not scored a try in the championship and we were drawing 3-3 at half-time with Ireland. Then Chris Oti scored a hat-trick and we finished 35-3 winners with the crowd singing Jerusalem.

MC: Italy's first championship match in 2000 when we beat Scotland.

Another sporting event to get the juices flowing

TC: The soccer World Cup. I went to Wimbledon once but all I saw was the rain.

DS: I love Test cricket and have been an avid follower of England's series against South Africa.

BN: The Ryder Cup. It has a strong team ethos and it brings nations together. We have it in Wales in 2010 and already I'm looking forward to it.

DL: I've a personal interest in hurling. An All-Ireland final with 80,000 fans at Croke Park is a unique occasion.

SH: Steve Redgrave's fifth gold at the Sydney Olympics.

MC: The Tri-Nations. I played some Currie Cup rugby in South Africa so I enjoyed watching that.